Leader: Nessie’s mystique remains undimmed

Perhaps it’s for the best that monster hunters have drawn a blank

Loch Ness Research Project vessel 'Deepscan' takes monster hunters on a search trip on Loch Ness in the hope of spotting the elusive monster

Admittedly, it was a long shot. The biggest search in 50 years for the elusive Loch Ness Monster ended yesterday with little to show for it other that a few unidentified “distinctive noises”.

Perhaps, however, the weekend’s fruitless expedition is a blessing in disguise. What if the 200-strong group of volunteers had found the leviathan deep below the surface?

If such a discovery were ever made, the monster would surely lose the mystique that draws thousands of tourists and Nessie-hunters to the Highlands every year. How many fewer visitors would come if she turned out to be nothing more fantastical than a conger eel or a sturgeon?

As long as the monster confines herself to the murky depths, her place in folklore is secure. But as soon as some fortunate tourist captures an indisputable image of her the fascination will vanish.

As Steven Spielberg knew perfectly well when he directed Jaws, the things that captivate us the most are often those left to our own imaginations.